Absolutely! Over 10 million people in America suffer from an eating disorder, 4 million of whom struggle with Binge Eating Disorder (by far the most common eating disorder). Countless others face the occasional emotional eating episode.

Among Health for the Whole Self readers, Monday’s poll shows that 94% struggle or have struggled with emotional eating, brought on by everything from stress to loneliness to insecurity to excitement.

Q: Are people equipped to cope with this issue?

Not as well as they could be! Of the poll’s respondents, half have never received professional help. The majority of people (59%) said they only feel comfortable using 1-5 coping strategies, and 15% said they feel confident using none.

Q: Why did you write Taking Action?

I wrote Taking Action to address the number one question I get about emotional eating: What can I do about it? The issue can be so frustrating and exasperating; it can leave you feeling hopeless. Having concrete tools and strategies has allowed me to be more proactive, and I’m certain others can benefit from that as well.

Q: How will the e-book help me deal with my emotional eating?

The e-book can help you take insightful but vague advice – like “make peace with food” and “stop fighting your body” – and make it more useful, more tangible. As I write in the Introduction, it’s about learning the “doings” that can get you to a healthier place of “being.” Taking Action is an emotional eating toolbox.

Q: How is Taking Action different from other resources available?

It’s different because, honestly, I’m not an official expert. I don’t have a degree in psychology or nutrition or anything like that. It’s just me – my personal experience with emotional eating, and the steps I’ve used in my own life to combat it.

Also, it’s meant to be extremely user friendly. There’s no puffy language or dauntingly-long chapters. It’s simple and straightforward: here’s what I did and here’s why it worked for me.

Q: How is the e-book different than this blog?

Most of the strategies covered in Taking Action are ones that have not been discussed on Health for the Whole Self, and the ones that have been mentioned in blog posts have been expanded.

Q: What have others said about Taking Action?

Katie McLaughlin has a way with words, especially when talking about the delicate subject of food and body image. She outlines coping skills in easy to follow ways, from a friendly personable voice. While there are many eating disorder self help books out there, I believe that this is one of the first ones I have read where the writer knows what she speaks of, but does not claim to be recovered or a certified expert – just a person, trying to get beyond struggling, wanting to share what she has learned. Everyone should get their hands on this e-book! – Sarah Blake, LCSW – Eating Disorders Clinician

Q: How long is the e-book?

It’s difficult to say with an e-book, since it’s not as concrete as a book you hold in your hands, but Taking Action is approximately 70 standard book-size pages.

Thank you all for reading this blog (and potentially the e-book) and for your constant feedback and support. All of that means the world to me!!! As cheesy and dramatic as this sounds, I truly am the person I am today – happier and healthier than I’ve ever been – in large part because of my experience connecting with you through the good ol’ Internet. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!

Have you ever purchased an e-book before? Think you might want to write one someday?

Hi Katie! I’ve been a lurker on your blog for a while and it has helped me in many ways. I bought your e-book and found it to be a comprehensive package of many of the tricks I already use and some new ones that I plan to use. Great price too! Thank you

[...] P.P.S., Katie from Health for the Whole Self just launched her e-book on 30 ways to overcome emotional eating! Katie isn’t just a good friend, but she’s one of my all-time favorite bloggers. Learn more about the e-book and purchasing it here! [...]

Katie-
I bought it last night and finished reading it this morning. Really terrific- so much sounded like it came right out of my head, the way those urges work, the kinds of foods ,the kinds of emotions… but you had the guts and patience and talent to put it all down and share it with us, thank you so much. I am going to re-read it more slowly now, because I think I have used some of these strategies over time, but not always consistently and not always with success. It’s funny, I’ve always used journaling to help with insomnia, with great success, but never thought to do it for eating issues. Also, I’ve been re-reading “Peace is Every Step” by the Thich Nhat Hanh, and was really struck by how his Buddhist principles of mindfulness relate so directly to what you said about “eating mindfully” -and again back to Michael Pollan’s “Omnivore’s Dilemma”, which I also finished recently, and also gets at the idea of being mindful about what we buy to eat and how it tastes and makes us feel. I had never stepped back to see how these disparate interests/concerns of mine had such a strong thread running between them all. A lot for me to think — and journal– about. Thank you again, this book was a real gift.

[...] in the perimenopause and menopause years…this is not your mother’s menopause book!) and Taking Action: 30 Specific Strategies for Overcoming Emotional Eating (even though I don’t struggle with this too much any more, I really appreciate the [...]

[...] is the brand new e-book, Taking Action: 30 Specific Strategies for Overcoming Emotional Eating, by Katie at Health for the Whole Self. It’s a wonderfully quick and insightful read that offers [...]

Katie, I’m so happy that you made this wonderful book. You are an exceptional guide and writer and I feel full of joy for you and everyone who reads. Thank you for all of your honesty, empathy, and grace

[...] Recently, Katie has written an e-book that provides 30 strategies to overcome emotional eating. I purchased the e-book, and absolutely loved it. Not only is it well written, relatable and thoughtful, but it’s packed with valuable tools. It’s a book that you’ll return to regularly. You can learn more about the book and how to get it here. [...]

[...] McLaughlin blogs about all things healthy living at Health for the Whole Self. Her e-book is titled Taking Action: 30 Specific Strategies for Overcoming Emotional Eating, which is available as a PDF Download or through the Amazon Kindle [...]